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Six by 6 | Six spectacularly bald comic characters

Baldness. Decades before it became de rigueur, it was a popular look in superhero comics. Marvel has killed off two bald figures in the past couple of years (Professor X in Avengers vs. X-Men and Uatu in the forthcoming Original Sin), but that barely scratches the surfaces of the legions of smooth-scalped characters in the hairless history of superhero and sci-fi comics.

In this installment of Six by 6, we take a look at six standout members of the bald brigade -- hero and villain, male and female.

Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor may have been born bad, but he wasn't born bald. In 1960, his co-creator Jerry Siegel revealed a story in which Luthor lost his hair in a laboratory fire and blamed it on Superman's meddling. It's become a signature look for the classic villain, in comics, film and television.

Ming the Merciless

He's one of the big bads of the comics medium, and one of the earliest examples of follicly challenged foes. Known for his bald head and magnificent mustache, Ming has long been viewed as an embarrassing example of the Yellow Peril villain that populated so many stories of that era. However, comics have tried to update the character, while keeping the trademark smooth dome. Ming has been parodied across the modern landscape, from Sally Forth to a columnist for The Onion, and even served as inspiration for both Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars. Hail, Ming!

Moondragon

Trained by alien monks, Moondragon learned control over her body -- including her hair follicles, according to The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. She's had tours of duty as an Avenger, a Defender and a Guardian of the Galaxy, and at one point possessed the Infinity Gem governing the Mind. That's cool and all, but control over your hair? That's cooler.